Academy Life
by EduTorresD
Summary: AU. After Secrets of the Omnitrix the Plumbers discover that Ben has the Omnitrix and want to have him enroll in a special academy for outstanding recruits.
1. Chapter 1: Road to the Academy

Title: Academy Life

By: EduTorresD

Summary: The adventure isn't over just because the road trip is, the Plumbers discover that Ben has the Omnitrix and want to have him enroll in a special academy for outstanding recruits.

Rating: PG-13 (I think)

Thanks to Kirby77DP77 for being the beta for this.

Disclaimer: Ben 10 is owned by Man of Action and Cartoon Network.

Notes: There is some overlapping with AF, but mostly it's a new storyline after Secret of the Omnitrix.

Now here's the 1st chapter:

* * *

Although most of the situations Ben Tennyson is thrust into are not ordinary, common or even fair; the situation he's in right now as he watches stars pass by is one that, he thinks, should not have happened. Sure, he was on TV some times, he was a hero after all, but no one in the plumber corps should have known that he had the Omnitrix except for grandpa Max.

Everything started yesterday, it was winter break and they traveled to the mountains capped with snow, Ben was chucking snow inside the coat of Gwen, who was trying to strap in a pair of skis.

It was a soft full moon night and the snow fell softly like leaves, the cold wind was calm and the clouds were sparse. The white of the snow could be seen everywhere the soft manmade light touched, the scene was a winter wonderland that everyone present enjoyed. Most were relaxing drinking cocoa and skiing but there were two people that were getting the attention of all the strangers around.

As the snow fell roughly into Gwen's jacket and started to feel it she yelled "BEN! STOP THAT! IT'S COLD!" after trying to get the snow out of her jacket but only managing to drench more of her clothing and grimacing because of the cold snow, she turned toward Ben looking at him with green eyes full of fury.

Ben Smirks a little at the face his cousin makes and starts running after yelling "MAKE ME DWEEB!"

At that Gwen pauses for a second seeing her cousin run and realizing that he expected retaliation, and Gwen wasn't one to disappoint, she smiled a little and started running after him with some ideas running through her head and eyes full of humor and she yelled "COME BACK HERE SO I CAN KICK YOUR BUTT! "

Suddenly, Max came running from the cabin that they rented that was just a few yards away. He looked worried and a fierce look could be seen in his eyes. After catching up to them he says "KIDS! KIDS! Come quickly! We have to go" This makes Ben looked confused with his eyebrows scrunching up and Gwen asks the pertinent question. "What's wrong Grandpa? Are there more criminal aliens coming? I thought that after this summer most would think twice about coming after us."

"it's not the criminals this time Gwen. It's the plumbers. I don't know who told them, obviously not Azmuth seeing as he wanted it to be secret, but someone told them you had the Omnitrix. They are coming for an evaluation of Ben and I have to prep you."

Groaning loudly Ben then asked "Is it going to be like the training camp where Gwen beat me at everything?" with a grim expression Max answered "Quite possibly."

After that came the magister of earth whom even Max couldn't go against.

A fishy looking alien, kind of like Ripjaws but more like a hammer shark came down from the plumber spaceship. he looked at Max directly and said "Max" with a look that clearly stated he didn't want to do this, his expression looked funny to Ben seeing as his eyes were so separated that it looked difficult that they could see in the middle.

Max returned the look with one that said 'I don't car you're still messing with my family' and said "Magister Labrid," he looked ready to pound the alien officer with his body more tense and his hands balled up, but he still knew it was better to not antagonize the alien. "welcome to earth."

Ben looked from one to the other waging the battle after a moment and getting impatient as he asked "what's going to happen to me? Grandpa told me there was going to be an evaluation, but I'm not sure why" The last was said with a smirk that said - No _yelled_ 'I'm going to ace this anyway.'

"You certainly are not your grandfather's grandson. Even at his most arrogant, he would still be wise enough to not say this so directly. You would do well, Ben Tennyson, to not throw around your arrogance as it could be your undoing"

At that Max walked up to his face and replied "Are you threatening my grandson?" It was said with a low growl undertone to it.

"No just giving advice to a prospect" replied Labrid calmly and backed away from Max, Labrid knew that Max was just being aggressive because of the situation and doesn't really blame him. If someone tried to do this to one of his own kids he would react the same. "Please Max, let me do my job, it will be easier and you won't regret doing something you would be sorry for later."

At that statement Max sighted and relaxed his stance. "Give me a moment to talk to Ben, Am right in assuming it will be the standard for special ops?"

Labrid's face became neutral as he said "No actually, it will be a new schedule for special rookies. You are right in thinking it would have been special ops. As they were the only ones previously capable of handling their training but a new section of the academy has just been opened for excellent new prospects, and they can handle the special cases. If he does sufficiently well he may transfer midterm."

Max looked relieved by what he had just learned his stance relaxed a little and asked "So, he's not going to be having twenty years of experience difference between him and his group?"

"No, just ten, and the new term is two years instead of just one, had too much people out too early."

"AWWWW! So I won't be coming for the next summer road trip?" Ben looked pleadingly to the magister, hoping his 'puppy dog face' would convince him to let him come back for the summer.

"Sorry son, it's mandatory and no communication to family. We want to keep the academies a secret and if we're hauling your asses from one place to the other so much it won't be."

Ben looked dejected at that, then a mischievous look passed over his face and Max looked at him worriedly while he said "I'm going to say good bye to Gwen."

"Ben" Max said warningly, but Ben ran without hearing anything.

"He will be a handful to the academy instructor" Labrid said with an amused expression.

"Of that I have no doubt" he says with a smile on his face, showing a pride in the glimmer of his eyes while looking in the direction that Ben just ran to. "you know who he will be assigned to?" Max asked Labrid.

"It will probably a Galvan, or the new Petrosapiens female that just became a magister."

Max looked confused "Shouldn't she be going to another position? Teaching is hardly something done by someone so inexperienced even if she IS a magister."

"She earned the title by teaching and it was she who founded the new academy, her credentials speak for her" he said.

Then in the distance a loud yell of "DOOFUS!" could be heard from a distance.

"He's coming now, you better start up the ship" said Max with sadness in his voice.

"it will be a long trip" said Labrid dejectedly.

* * *

And so we come to where we started, with an eleven year old Ben Tennyson bored out of his mind after trying to misuse the laundry duct, which made him almost die funnily enough. It was a vacuum pull, and as luck would have it Labrid caught him before it could be fatal, and promptly chastised Ben for the misuse.

They were almost to the academy and its installations. Labrid hoped this wasn't a disaster; Trix Dregs wasn't a person to annoy, and Labrid was sure Ben was going to be as annoying as he could, not to bother or some misguided attention seeking but because that was how he was.

Noticing an approaching green and lighter green planet he looks at the instruments in the ship and confirms where they are. After confirming it, Labrid calls to Ben "Ben, we're here!" and immediately Ben perked up and stared out the window. Then he asked "Is that it? It looks like earth, but instead of having blue oceans it has a kind of greenish tint to it."

Labrid smirks a little and responds "So you think so, huh? But don't be fooled by that. The flora and fauna are much more asinine and intelligent. Almost everything wants to eat you, or if not eat you then plant it's eggs in you" Ben gives Labrid a level look, wary that it scared him but didn't want to show it.

Suddenly an alarm blared up and Labrid's eyes widened, _that's a weird thing to witness _Ben thought before he looks at what was making the alarm freak out. _A plasma missile? That thing's too easy._

Before Labrid knew what he was doing, Ben touched the Omnitrix and the face popped out. He turns it and then pushed down. A green light blinded Labrid slightly, and he sees out of the corner of his eyes something as it phased through the plating of the ship.

Labrid blinked, shook his head and cleared his thoughts. _First things first, I have to evade that thing._ He went to the helm but it was different. The whole ship was different. There was black and green where there was once gray and green.

Then when he least expects it a distorted voice talks. "having fun there? I already took care of the problem" said a distorted voice. Labrid couldn't think of what to say, until he figured who was the only one in the ship with that much arrogance.

"Ben, please tell me what you did. And is that a galvanic mechamorph?"

Suddenly a piece of machinery poped up and a voice came from it. "I used Upgrade to protect the ship, you should thank me it was a very powerful plasma missile if I didn't repurpose a little of the communication system to make a sonic shield to dissipate the heat of the missile."

Labrid looked worried at that statement. "Please tell me you didn't mess with the IFF module!"

The circle of circuits in the middle of the machinery suddenly gained a caving v in the top, it made it look mad. "Please, like I'm that dumb, but it seemed the IFF module had a slight problem. I fixed it as best I could; it could be why they first threw the missile."

Labrid looked relieved and worried at the same time. Who could have tampered with the ship? It´s not like he stopped somewhere along the way, the only place it could have been from is from earth and the only people he noticed there were Gwen and Max. It would be a mystery for another day; today he had to deliver the boy a few miles north of the equator of the planer.

Seeing an approaching gray dot, Ben asked the obvious question "Is that it? Are we going to be there soon? Because I can see something from here." _Labrid looks irritated, maybe even annoyed, t_hought Ben.

"We'll be there in about a 15 minutes; maybe you should get your stuff from the equipment hold already." Labrid made a gesture to the back of the cockpit indicating the general direction.

Ben looked at the way he signaled, and then back to Labrid, then back again. Ben sighed got off the seat, and started walking that direction. After passing through the corridor he came into view of the locker room, not "the equipment hold" as Labrid called it. _It's surprisingly like a locker room in any school, just with a more spacey feel to it, t_hought Ben with the intention to tell him that exactly just to see how he'd react.

Just as Ben was musing how to irritate Labrid the most, they arrived at the academy and the ship shook a little, leaving a fallen Ben with clothes and a few accessories on top of him. When Labrid went to get him he was like that plus some colored cheeks when he entered and both of them laughed, one of embarrassment and the other of humor.

Seeing as almost everything was out in the open, Ben asked for the help of the old officer and started saying how he wanted everything packed. Socks were on one side, boxers this side, shirts that one, accessories and video games in the backpack. It was a more relaxed conversation between the two, one directing the other asking where something went, _it almost seems natural to him_, thought Labrid.

Labrid helped Ben collect and pack his stuff again in the small backpack and small suitcase, _He has a surprising amount of organization in his way of packing even if he doesn't fold,_ and with that thought Labrid came to a conclusion. _Even if he is a slob, he is an organized slob._

Labrid chuckled at that and told Ben "We're here, come on, let's go to the exit", and with that started walking in the direction of the exit.

Hearing that Ben gave a little yell of excitement and followed Labrid, sensing something had escaped his mind. As they went in the corridor Ben thought to ask Labrid if this was where he trained.

"No, I was trained in the regular academy. It was a different setting, more organized and I was older than any one of the cadets brought here. It was also a different time; Vilgax had just conquered a few worlds and was on the rise. We were preventing his plans the most we could. We were so understaffed for everything going on in the galaxy that we lost a lot of people who didn't have the staff to do half of what they did. Even recruits such as I went on operations in those times, it was a most chaotic scene in the universe." Labrid looked thoughtful as they almost came upon the exit. "I hope that your defeat of Vilgax puts a less burdensome role on the cadets of this generation. I know we could use every hand we can get our hands into but that is no excuse for what those days made the Plumber organization as a whole do."

They came upon the exit door of the ship.

It was a somber atmosphere and Ben felt uncomfortable in it. He tried biting his mouth to not let the words he knew were going to haunt him later get out, but to no avail. "Don't worry Lab, I defeated Vilgax the worst villain in the history of ever, I'm sure everything the universe throws at me at this point will be a cakewalk."

Labrid, against every expectation Ben had, laughed at that. "Ben Tennyson, I hope you are right because my main cause of concern to that affirmation is at the other side of this door. Here you will experience hopelessness, excruciating muscular pain and, if you're lucky, camaraderie. It will be difficult; it may test your limits and I am sure you will come back the better for it. I hope you pass but please remember, no one lives with your decisions but you." And at that Labrid gave him a pat on the shoulder and opened the door.


	2. Chapter 2:The Arrival,Tour and meetings

Here's the 2nd chapter I know, I know, I took a long time to upload the next one, but I was busy with life and my beta reader for the last chapter couldn't help me because of the same(life).

if you know a good beta reader please send me a message or something, I'm really not that good at proof reading my own stuff.

Disclaimer: Ben 10 is owned by Man of Action and Cartoon Network.

Now here's the chapter:

* * *

The early morning sun shined in all its glory when they got out of the ship. To say Ben was impressed would be to understate the sentiment a little, but Ben tried to not show it. Labrid could see through the tough guy act Ben had going, but left him alone.

In front of Ben stood a mountain, a huge mountain as big as the Everest, thanks to the weather it just had a little snow in the highest point of the mountain but there was something else, the whole mountain was a building in disguise. There were a few distinguished differences from a mountain, like the windows which were more than 10 feet tall, the columns which helped form a few terraces and a few ventilator holes, where Ben could see himself going to later, but the academy was well hidden inside the mountain.

Ben looked it up and down and turned to Labrid asking "So, it's a super secret academy but it has windows, and a front door?" Labrid muttered something Ben couldn't hear well but sounded suspiciously like 'here we go again' and answered "Yes, because of research and other security reasons it has to have windows and at least 3 exit points, also mana users have secured the place" Labrid looked at Ben seeing confusion in his face he started explaining "mana users would be magic users in your world, people that use the mana stream to shape the world to their advantage" at that Ben thought like Gwen, but didn't say it out loud.

Ben started looking around noticing the surrounding landscape was green, not the kind of green usually seen in forest areas or deserts but more of a jungle type of green. It was obvious there were some outside training tracks but not many. Ben asked himself if most of the training was inside.

"Indeed it is." answered Labrid to the question. Ben took a moment to realize he said it out loud instead of just thinking it. "Why?" Ben asked Labrid who in turn turned to look at Ben in the eyes to answer, seemingly to see his reaction. "Because the most prominent rookies get sent here, if someone in the galaxy wanted to take out the best of the new generation this academy could be a target." Ben seemed to consider that with a thoughtful expression, but then he asked "why don't you just have them fight, then? If they are the best, can't they handle a little fighting?" Labrid's expression seemed to change, he didn't suddenly become enraged but his face did seem to get more set, tenser, when he answered. "Maybe, but some things you don't want the younger ones to experience, especially if they are too young. I understand that you had to handle Vilgax, but there are some things to which you experienced too early. Now come on, I have places to be."

Then Ben took notice of the sun and saw how early it was here. He whined and said "it's morning? EARLY MORNING? This will affect my busy sleeping schedule." Labrid got a smile of amusement at that and told him "Don't worry, most of the time they go by the universal standard central time, because most of the staff keep to the underground levels. They are in the afternoon shift right now." Ben seemed glad to hear that and they started walking towards the door.

There was not much to walk from the landing port to the entrance of the academy, and so they were upon the entrance of the academy quickly. The entrance was big, as big as Way Big, and the architecture of it was beautiful. It seemed the first floor had no windows in this area and the door was not an exception. The entire mountain seemed to be composed of a marble-like material and the door was sculpted right into the rock. There were two huge column structures which were carved with sculptures. The sculptures seemed to be lifelike with very small details, some kincelerans, some galvan, some tetramands and various other species were present. It seemed to be representative of the structure of the Plumbers and any other armed organization. Support personnel were in the base, with medical supplies, tools and some other jobs. The low importance soldiers were up next, with standard equipment but fierce looks in their faces taking the most space. At the top of the entrance and the bottom of the balcony above it were the special soldiers, snipers, pilots, upper rank personnel. The top of the entrance formed an arc with, what could be assumed, the symbol of the academy in the middle of it.

Opening the door wasn't a problem, it was automatic, and the insides were surprisingly uninteresting. The room was carved into the mountain, but it was made like an actual building, rectangular and with very well cut corners. In the middle of the room was a metal desk with a kinceleran answering phones, typing and using a strange computer. To the back at the sides of the room there were metal doors, presumably doorways into hallways.

Labrid and Ben went towards the kinceleran where Ben could see a plaque with the name K8-E which Ben assumed was Katie. Labrid coughed once, Katie focused on them and asked "What can I do for you?" with a fake smile that didn't reach her eyes and still typing. Labrid gestured towards Ben and said "This is Ben Tennyson, he's enrolling here". When he said that, Katie's fake smile turned into a true one and ran toward one of the hallway entrances quickly, when she came back she told them "The director will be here in a minute, meanwhile I'll be registering the data of the new recruit. You can wait over there in one of the chairs or you can accompany him here". In response Labrid just stood there narrowing his eyes at the kinceleran and face set.

Katie turned to the computer and started moving things with the touch screen. The computer was an advanced model, the screen and keyboard were holographic but only one side of the screen was visible. A short time later she started talking to Ben again, ignoring Labrid, it was an exhaustive list of things she asked from "what is your favorite color?" to "are you good with a long range rifle?"

After the interrogation came the director of the academy, Trix Dregs. Trix appeared in what seemed a standard plumber suit, minus the headgear. _I bet Ben thinks that as a petrosapiens her diamond hard skin is enough protection but she still had to wear the suit because of regulation, _thought Labrid and greeted the newly made magister.

"Magister Trix, a pleasure to meet such a young and illustrious member" said Labrid with a small smile.

"Magister Labrid, likewise a pleasure to meet you. Your career is extensive and impressive, I'm glad to meet you in person." Trix responded.

"How is it going with the new academy?" asked Labrid with enthusiasm in his face.

"It is a thankless and frustrating task, but it's progressing. I see you're enrolling a new cadet, tough not the most colorful if I'm not mistaken." She was talking with a straight, poker face. Ben and Labrid couldn't see a twitch or sign of emotion coming from her, both were impressed by the effort.

"Really? I would think the one that defeated Vilgax multiple times, has enemies that haunt nightmares and has one of the most respected plumbers alive as a grandfather would be the most colorful" said Ben with a smirk and eyes staring straight to Trix, challenging her to disprove his claim.

Trix returned the stare and responded "I would think so too if not for the diversity and peculiarity that we now gather here. Most of these recruits would say the same. We have a galvan straight from getting an education by a special ops instructor, a tetramand martial artist that seems unbeatable in a hand to hand fight, and an appoplexian that actually uses his head. A human with a device as powerful as the omnitrix beating Vilgax is nothing compared to what they had to go trough to get what made them special."

Ben didn't seem to deflate at that instead his smirk got bigger and his eyes shone with excitement as he said with a mysterious voice "You have yet to see what I can do".

Trix blinked and her chest inflated a bit showing signs that she was going to laugh but it never came, instead she said "you can leave him in my care, sir. I will show him to the barracks he will be occupying with his new squad." At that Labrid looked at her, then at Ben seeing he was telling him with his eyes he was going to be ok, and then he looked back to Trix, nodded and started walking towards his ship.

Ben saw Labrid go and then turned to see Trix, the green of her diamond hard skeen glistened in the light of the reception and she seemed to be studying the omnitrix in Ben's wrist. When the staring of Trix began to make him uncomfortable he started talking, trying to get her attention off of the watch. "So, you were going to show me where I'll be living the next…"Ben let it drag on because he didn't know exactly when he would graduate. Trix stopped staring at the omnitrix and answered Ben's unsaid question, "it'll be a year or two before you get to go home, and yes I will show you. Follow me." She started walking towards the door to the right and Ben followed.

In almost no time they were upon an elevator just to the side of the door in the hallway it led to. Once there Trix started explaining the layout of this academy. "The cadet levels are the floors from three to six and the basements two and five. Basement five is a solid hologram projector chamber and basement two is the armory and gun range, both are quite spacious and students are free to go there on their free time from three to nine in the afternoon. We go by the twenty eight hour day here so lights out will be at twelve and morning call is at six. Classes are in the floors three and four, don't get lost in the way to class. Finally cater quarters are floors five and six. Each cadet will bunk with three others which will be your squad, get along with them or work with them, your choice but you can't change squads so I would suggest trying to get along." They passed four floors on the elevator and three doors to get to room AD5, Ben's new home.

When Trix opened the door Ben could see a feline alien with lean muscles wearing a gray shirt and black pants, he was male and was reading something. To the side, in a bunk bed there was a galvan wearing black and cleaning a gun that seemed too big for him, about twice his size. Above the galvan was a kinceleran girl, she was shining some kind of protection and was very focused doing it.

Trix stepped forward and the three of them formed a line saluting her. "cadets" said Trix and the trio said "yes, ma'am" at the same time like a chorus. Trix looked at each of them and Ben stepped beside her as she said "I see you're preparing for tomorrow. I bring you the last of your squad. This is Ben a human." They had different reactions, the feline looking one looked like a kitty that just lost its yarn ball, the galvan looked at Ben with scorn and the kincelerian looked sad for a second before giving him a big smile. "Ben this is Taxx an appoplexian, Joth a galvan, and Mattie a kinceleran" Ben stepped forward to greet them and as he started giving Taxx a handshake Trix left. "Good to meet you" said Ben before getting his hand almost crushed. "Good to meet you too, sorry about the hand, I don't control my strength sometimes" Ben doubted that but moved on. "Hello" he said to the galvan as he stretched his hand and he responded grasping just a finger. "what's your thing?" asked the galvan as he began greeting the kincelerian. "Nice to meet you" Ben said, returning the smile that she was giving him. "Nice to meet you too, Ben." Then Ben turned to the galvan, "my "thing" is this" said Ben while raising his arm and pointing his right index to the omnitrix. Everyone seemed astonished to see the omnitrix and were staring in shock at Ben.

"Not so bad now huh?" said Ben as he jumped toward the top bunk opposite to where Joth and Matie were and left his things on the floor. "Tomorrow we'll talk more, I'm tired and there's a good chance of having a long day tomorrow. Don't worry about the lights, I can sleep with them on." Then he started getting comfortable, after a minute the trio snapped out of it and went back to what they were doing before he came back, one by one they started going to sleep too after finishing their activities all three of them wondering what surprises the human in their squad would show them tomorrow.


End file.
